TWO rare tortoises are back home after being stolen from Southport Zoo.

TWO rare tortoises are back home after being stolen from Southport Zoo.

But the zoo has condemned the thieves who returned the endangered giant African tortoises by throwing them over a perimeter fence.

One of the creatures was left stranded upside down in the branch of a tree while the other was found by a zoo keeper wandering around in bushes.

The pair, born at the zoo six years ago, were returned after the theft was reported in the ECHO.

Zoo director Carole Petrie said: "We are over the moon to get them back. I think someone has spotted the story about the tortoises being stolen in the ECHO and thought better of it.

"They were just lobbed over the fence. The tortoise that was found in a tree is in a bad way. They are getting better and we are hoping the shock doesn't kill them. I think they are strong enough to pull through."

The animals, which weigh 40 to 50lbs and are two feet long, were snatched from the tortoise cubicle after burglars broke into the reptile centre.

The tortoises are worth more than £1,000 on the black market but without being kept in a heated tank they could easily die.

They hatched at Southport Zoo as part of an endangered species breeding programme and are one of the most popular attractions.